MANAUS—The 53-year-old Tucano chief, Francisco de Souza Pereira, was shot four days ago in the Urucaia indigenous community in the Nova Cidade neighborhood of Manaus.

The crime occurred around 01:00 AM. Francisco was sleeping with his wife and a daughter when three hooded men invaded the house on Bahia Street.

His spouse Dulcinea Ferreira Lima (housewife 53) said that the assailants called her husband by name. When he answered, one of the hooded men stomped on the door, and then Francisco begged for the for the assailants to spare life of his wife and daughter.

The killers called my husband ‘troublemaker’ and ordered him to shut up. I put my hand on his mouth, but that was when one of the men shot twice. After that, I protected my daughter, said the chief`s wife.

After the crime, the killers took three family cell phones and fled in an unidentified car that was parked at the entrance to the street. During the escape, one of the suspects still managed to fire a shot in the air.

The criminal investigation of the Department of Technical-Scientific Police (DPTC) confirmed that the property did not show signs of a break-in. Francisco was struck at point-blank range with two shots to the head and two in the chest. The shots came from a 38-caliber revolver.

Dulcinea was asked if her husband previously had received death threats, and she remained silent for a few moments. According to her, Francisco worked as leader of indigenous lands and coordinated 42 villages in the region.

One local resident, who declined to identify himself, reported that Francisco died because he would have prevented sales of narcotics in the indigenous community. Since then, he has been summoned by drug traffickers in the area.

The body was removed to the Instituto Médico Legal (IML). The case will be investigated by the Homicide and Kidnapping Office (DEHS).